/Filmhttp://www.slashfilm.com
Movie News and Reviews This feed is for non commercial use. Content Copyright Slashfilm.com.Sun, 02 Aug 2015 19:32:58 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3slashfilmhttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with FeedLoungeSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with inclue!Subscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with NewsAlloySubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with ODEOSubscribe with PodnovaSubscribe with Excite MIXThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.New ‘Ghostbusters’ Show Off Second Proton Pack While Visiting Children’s Hospitalhttp://www.slashfilm.com/new-ghostbusters-proton-pack/
http://www.slashfilm.com/new-ghostbusters-proton-pack/#commentsSun, 02 Aug 2015 19:32:58 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307280Over the weekend, the cast of the new Ghostbusters earned some goodwill with fans by visiting the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Photos have been making the rounds online featuring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones visiting patients and their families while wearing all their Ghostbusters gear. […]

Over the weekend, the cast of the new Ghostbusters earned some goodwill with fans by visiting the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Photos have been making the rounds online featuring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones visiting patients and their families while wearing all their Ghostbusters gear.

Obviously, this is a very charming thing for the cast to do, and we’re happy to see these kids have some joy brought into their lives. But our interest has also been piqued by these photos because the team seems to be wearing an entirely different proton pack than the ones that director Paul Feigalready revealed to us back in June.

And for comparison, here are the previous photos of proton packs revealed by Paul Feig:

As you can see, the neutrino wands are completely different in the hospital photos. They’re designed to be held like a small chain gun, and look a little more heavy duty. And while we can’t fully see the backpack portion of the proton pack, it looks a little more high-tech, slightly colorful, and much cleaner.

Maybe the first proton packs that Paul Feig revealed are the new Ghostbusters’ first attempt at ghost-capturing technology and they eventually upgrade their gear to something better, maybe when they start making money. Or perhaps they have to design a new weapon to deal with whatever paranormal threat is terrorizing New York City.

Something else that’s interesting to point out is that these versions of the jumpsuits don’t have the Ghostbusters logo on the shoulders like the ones the ladies are wearing in the official cast photo that was released in July.

Also, if you look carefully, there’s another cool gadget hanging from Melissa McCarthy’s waistband that we haven’t seen before. Since it has a small line of black and yellow diagonal stripes on it, I’m inclined to think it might be a new kind of ghost trap, but it’s hard to tell. Either way, this gear is definitely new, and hopefully Paul Feig will give us a closer look at this stuff soon.

The rest of the Ghostbusters cast includes Andy Garcia as the mayor of New York City, Michael K. Williams as a character named Hawkins, Matt Walsh as a character named Rourke, Chris Hemsworth as the new secretary for the Ghostbusters, and Saturday Night Live writer Neil Casey as the film’s villain. Plus, Dan Ayrkoyd also confirmed that he’ll have a cameo in the film in a scene with Kristen Wiig.

It’s been 14 years since male model Derek Zoolander saved the Malaysian prime minister from being assassinated by a really, really, ridiculously good looking merman. But now Ben Stiller is back as the dimwitted fashion icon.

The teaser trailer for Zoolander 2 hand just debuted online, and while there’s no footage from the movie, it’s clear that Stiller is back in clueless male model mode as he argues with Stephen Hawking’s voiceover about the title of the sequel.

Watch the Zoolander 2 teaser below!

Here’s the teaser trailer from Paramount Pictures:

If you go to the official website, it appears that the title of the movie might officially be 2oolander. As someone who loves goofy sequel titles like that, I fully approve. Plus, all the shots inside of what we learn is Zoolander’s brain is chock full of references to the original movie, from orange mocha frappuccino to the vague sounds of “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

Also, can we just say how good Ben Stiller still looks after all these years? Yes, I know make-up and even visual effects to an extent can help with that, but still, he hasn’t lost a step as Derek Zoolander at all.

Not a lot has been revealed about the plot of Zoolander 2, but here’s what Stiller had to say a few years ago:

It’s ten years later and most of it is set in Europe… it’s basically Derek and Hansel… though the last movie ended on a happy note a lot of things have happened in the meantime. Their lives have changed and they’re not really relevant anymore. It’s a new world for them. Will Ferrell is written into the script and he’s expressed interest in doing it. I think Mugatu is an integral part of the Zoolander story, so yes, he features in a big way.

Otherwise, we know other cast members include Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Penelope Cruz and Cyrus Arnold as Zoolander’s awkward son. In addition, Christine Taylor will be back as Matilda Jeffries, Will Ferrell as fashion designer Mugatu, and Billy Zane as himself. Plus, Owen Wilson has a big role as Zoolander’s former rival Hansel again. You can likely expect many more cameos in the movie, just like the first one.

Justin Theroux, who played the breakdancing DJ in the first movie, co-wrote the script with Stiller, who is back in the director’s chair for the comedy sequel. Zoolander 2 opens February 12th, 2016.

]]>0This Week In Trailers: Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans, Cut Snake, The Second Mother, Sneakerheadz, Entertainmenthttp://www.slashfilm.com/this-week-in-trailers-steve-mcqueen-the-man-le-mans-cut-snake-the-second-mother-sneakerheadz-entertainment/
http://www.slashfilm.com/this-week-in-trailers-steve-mcqueen-the-man-le-mans-cut-snake-the-second-mother-sneakerheadz-entertainment/#commentsSun, 02 Aug 2015 16:00:50 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=306817Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week […]

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week we delve into the world of Gregg Turkington, get gritty with an old fashioned crime story, try not to die behind the wheel, request some maid service, and wonder why anyone would obsess over Air Jordans.

What comes through in this trailer, though, is just how dynamic and fluid of a performer that Turkington is. Whereas most people cultivate a personality that is rigid, and stays about as narrow as a plastic straw, Turkington puts different personas out there and lets it fly. Director Rick Alverson seems to have captured that comedic schizophrenia in a way that made The Comedy such a unique gem. These films aren’t about how many jokes it can get through, they’re not concerned with an overt calculus of determining how many gags will land versus how many will fall flat, but, rather, how close can it hew to the voice and aesthetic of making something unique. This trailer destroys because of how genuinely pure it feels as it washes over your eyes. Again, like The Comedy, this is not seeking your approval. It’s like stepping into a world unlike our own but very much like it. That mish mash of reality and pure fiction is a delight as we are carried on the vocal wings of “Ave Maria” and then descend into something much darker, pull-quotes planting small flags throughout to vouch for its pedigree, but still wickedly alluring.

Cut Snake Trailer

I’d like more of these, please.

My exposure to director Tony Ayres is very small. Small enough that it really was not until I saw last year’s The Turning, where Ayres directed one of the vignettes in the film, Cockleshell. Whereas Cockleshell felt very intimate and quiet, this absolutely raises the volume and violence level up a few notches. There’s just something about a raw and fun about this but, even more, a movie where you can already tell who the winners and losers are going to be is just reason to see if it keep your attention long enough to be satisfying. We don’t get many of these nowadays so it’s nice when one of them pops up to at least come to us by way of TIFF, a sign that it least has its act together and, hopefully, deliver what this trailer is promising.

Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans Trailer

Feel the rhythm, feel the ride…

After getting Senna and Truth in 24, there’s been some fantastic documentaries that have been made that have looked at this brand of Formula One racing. Directors Gabriel Clarke and John McKenna appear to be tapping into what made those two documentaries so enthralling to begin with. It’s not that dudes are whizzing around track at high speeds, it’s the context under which they find themselves there and what literally drives these people to win at any cost. It’s human nature behind the wheel. Here, then, the trailer just unloads without sticking around in any one area for longer than a beat or two. It’s exciting, fresh and brings a new perspective of why Steve McQueen gravitated to racing as much as he did. It’s not just that “he liked it” but we see so much more context. Live fast, die young.

Sneakerheadz Trailer

I’m fascinated.

There’s just something about a documentary that has no impact to anything I spend my time on or care about in any way. What directors David T. Friendly and Mick Partridge have done, though, is actually entertain me by watching the same kind of people I can identify with, those rabid fans of something so ephemeral and inconsequential to the perpetuation of mankind (read here: fanboys of all stripes), and making this pitch airtight as to why I should care about any of this. Literally riveted through the whole thing, I understood the fanaticism that sits at the core of this obsession. It’s always a fun time to delve into a subculture, when done right, to define what it means to be part of that culture and the behaviors associated with that group. It’s not really that difficult to articulate why anyone would want to be a part of this kind of movement but as long as your storytelling skills are on point you could make a documentary about devotees to Le Creuset and what some yahoo would do for a frying pan and I’d probably watch it with rapt attention.

The Second Mother Trailer

Class.

Director Anna Muylaert has given us something quiet. Something that Oscilloscope saw as important enough to put in its stable, hence the stamp of approval that was enough for me to give it two and a half minutes of my time. It was a good investment as this trailer just oozes the kind of greater meaning storytelling that just appeals to a neanderthal like me. It’s about family, it’s about class, status, job, security, hope, so many messages are whizzing by in this trailer that it’s tough to spot them all in a single viewing. It’s powerful and the trailer hums with a deceptively simple plot that you can’t help but feel there are deeper meanings here. There are.

Nota bene: If you have any suggestions of trailers to possibly be included in this column, even have a trailer of your own to pitch, please let me know by sending me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com or look me up via Twitter at @Stipp

In case you missed them, here are the other trailers we covered at /Film this week:

]]>0Ian McShane Joining ‘Game of Thrones’ Season Sixhttp://www.slashfilm.com/ian-mcshane-joining-game-of-thrones/
http://www.slashfilm.com/ian-mcshane-joining-game-of-thrones/#commentsSun, 02 Aug 2015 15:27:35 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307261Having starred in the western series Deadwood, Ian McShane is no stranger to stirring up trouble on HBO. And now he’ll return to the cable network, this time for their insanely popular fantasy series Game of Thrones. The actor who taught Nick Frost how to dance in Cuban Fury, fought Andy Samberg in Hot Rod […]

Having starred in the western series Deadwood, Ian McShane is no stranger to stirring up trouble on HBO. And now he’ll return to the cable network, this time for their insanely popular fantasy series Game of Thrones.

The actor who taught Nick Frost how to dance in Cuban Fury, fought Andy Samberg in Hot Rod and gave Captain Jack Sparrow some grief in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is heading to the sixth season of Game of Thrones, currently in production overseas in Ireland. Find out more about Ian McShane joining Game of Thrones after the jump!

Entertainment Weekly has the news on McShane joining the ensemble cast of Game of Thrones, but unfortunately, and word on his character is being kept under wraps. The only thing the magazine was able to find out is that he’ll have a “relatively small amount of screen-time during the season,” but his character still has a pivotal role.

Sadly, fans who have read the book won’t even be able to figure out who McShane might be playing in this forthcoming season, because the show is now heading into uncharted territory that author George R.R. Martin’s books have not yet revealed. Therefore fans could be looking at having future books spoiled (though there have been some significant changes made from the books to the TV show before).

McShane become a more recognizable face on American television after Deadwood, so it’s cool to see him returning to HBO. Most recently he was hanging out over at Showtime with an arc on Ray Donovan. He’s also a rare casting move for Game of Thrones, which has opted to mostly cast sparsely-known talent as opposed to well-known actors. Sean Bean, Lena Headey, Charles Dance and Peter Dinklage were probably the best known actors cast in the show’s beginning. But now they’re all very recognizable thanks to the popularity of the show.

In fact, that has caused some problems for the future of the show after the most recent season finale. That’s because fans have spotted Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow on the show, making frequent trips to Belfast for production meetings and table reads, implying that his character is likely not permanently dead. Is there any chance McShane will have anything to do with the future fate of Jon Snow? We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

]]>0Channing Tatum Officially Signs on for ‘Gambit’http://www.slashfilm.com/channing-tatum-signed-on-for-gambit/
http://www.slashfilm.com/channing-tatum-signed-on-for-gambit/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 18:44:24 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307252Just a few days ago, fans looking forward to seeing Channing Tatum join the mutant ranks of the X-Men with the spin-off Gambit got some bad news. The Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street star was considering dropping out of the project set up at 20th Century Fox. But we can all breathe a sigh […]

Just a few days ago, fans looking forward to seeing Channing Tatum join the mutant ranks of the X-Men with the spin-off Gambit got some bad news. The Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street star was considering dropping out of the project set up at 20th Century Fox.

But we can all breathe a sigh of relief now as Tatum has officially closed his deal to play the title role in the X-Men spin-off, though negotiations did get a little shaky there for a bit. Find out more about how Channing Tatum signed on for Gambit below!

THR has the breaking news, and they even say that Gambit was barely in any real danger, mostly because Tatum had already invested so much in playing the mutant, including appearing at Comic-Con last month. But what was holding the deal back was figuring out just how involved Tatum would be in the rest of the X-Men universe, as well as a backend deal for compensation (the latter is likely the more key culprit).

But with regards to how Gambit fits into the X-Men universe, the trade reports the studio sees the kinetically charged mutant as becoming a new anchor in the X-Men film franchise, not unlike Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in nearly all of the X-Men movies, except First Class where he only had a cameo.

The studio is hoping Tatum will be someone who plays a key role in future X-Men films as well as leading his own franchise. And if it turns out to be like Jackman’s time spent as Wolverine, a role that has spanned 15 years and seven movies (with two more on the way), then Tatum wanted to make sure the deal was to his liking.

This could be a risky move for Fox, because while Tatum has a sizeable fanbase, Magic Mike XXL wasn’t the huge hit that many thought it would be. It arrived with what seemed to be a promising box office debut, but it fizzled out rather quickly. Though maybe combining Tatum’s appeal with the following that X-Men already has will deliver what the studio wants.

Teh film will be directed by Rise of the Planet of the Apes helmer Rupert Wyatt with a script from Josh Zetumer, based on a treatment by the character’s co-creator Chris Clarement, and produced by Tatum himself, his producing partner Reid Carolin, and X-Men franchise producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg.

]]>0Watch the Red Band Trailer for ‘Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of National Lampoon’http://www.slashfilm.com/national-lampoon-documentary-trailer/
http://www.slashfilm.com/national-lampoon-documentary-trailer/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 18:30:13 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307245This past week, the reboot of Vacation hit the big screen, but it’s not a National Lampoon production anymore. The once thriving name in laughs has since become mostly a comedy memory, known for introducing us to bold and controversial material, future film and television stars, and a film franchise that took us into one […]

This past week, the reboot of Vacation hit the big screen, but it’s not a National Lampoon production anymore. The once thriving name in laughs has since become mostly a comedy memory, known for introducing us to bold and controversial material, future film and television stars, and a film franchise that took us into one of the craziest fraternities and also on one of the best road trips in the history of cinema.

Now a new documentary called Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of National Lampoon is on the way to theaters and VOD after a premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and the first red band trailer is now online. Watch the National Lampoon documentary trailer after the jump!

As someone who is fascinated and obsessed with the comedy world, from feature films to improv to stand-up, this was exactly the kind of documentary I was hoping for.

It dives deep behind the scenes of National Lampoon with all the key players, from Chevy Chase to P.J. O’Rourke to Kevin Bacon (yes, he had a role in Animal House), not to mention influenced comedic talents like Judd Apatow, with proper recognition paid to some who aren’t anymore, like Saturday Night Live and Animal House star John Belushi.

Germain Lussier called the movie “a must-watch for anyone interested in the history of pop culture” when he caught it back in January. Meanwhile, my own review also said it was “a must-see for comedy nuts, but just as enjoyable for audiences who like to laugh and are interested to know more about some of the most iconic comedy stars to ever work in show business.”

The documentary is a time capsule to a period of time in comedy that was so bold and irreverent that we may never see the likes of it ever again in these hyper-sensitive, overly politically correct times, and it’s a fascinating profile straight from the mouths of those who were there when it happened.

From the 1970s thru the 1990s, there was no hipper, no more outrageous comedy in print than The National Lampoon, the groundbreaking humor magazine that pushed the limits of taste and acceptability – and then pushed them even harder. Parodying everything from politics, religion, entertainment and the whole of American lifestyle, the Lampoon eventually went on to branch into successful radio shows, record albums, live stage revues and movies, including Animal House and National Lampoon’s Vacation. The publication launched the careers of legends like John Belushi, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Christopher Guest and Gilda Radner, who went on to gigs at Saturday Night Live and stardom.

Director Douglas Tirola’s documentary about the Lampoon, DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON, cleverly chronicles its founding by two former Harvard students, its growth, demise and everything in between. Told thru fresh, candid interviews with its key staff, and illustrated with hundreds of outrageous images from the mag itself (along with never-seen interview footage from the magazine’s prime), the film gives fans of the Lampoon a unique inside look at what made the magazine tick, who were its key players, and why it was so outrageously successful: a magazine that dared to think what no one was thinking, but wished they had.

]]>0Watch: Kyle Chandler Returns as Coach Taylor in Alamo Drafthouse PSAhttp://www.slashfilm.com/coach-taylor-alamo-drafthouse-psa/
http://www.slashfilm.com/coach-taylor-alamo-drafthouse-psa/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 18:00:49 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307208Kyle Chandler currently stars in Bloodline on Neflix, but his best-loved character will probably always be Coach Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights. Recently, he reprised that signature role to draw attention to a very important issue: jerks who talk and text during movies. Watch the Coach Taylor Alamo Drafthouse PSA after the jump. The Coach Taylor Alamo […]

Kyle Chandler currently stars in Bloodline on Neflix, but his best-loved character will probably always be Coach Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights. Recently, he reprised that signature role to draw attention to a very important issue: jerks who talk and text during movies.

Watch the Coach Taylor Alamo Drafthouse PSA after the jump.

The Coach Taylor Alamo Drafthouse PSA debuted on YouTube. The Alamo Drafthouse famously has a zero-tolerance policy toward talkers and texters. We’re guessing the Friday Night Lights cast and crew are intimately acquainted with that fact, since the show used to shoot in the Austin area.

Arguably no one in the history of television gives better inspirational speeches than Coach Taylor. However, even his humble eloquence is no match for an audience too distracted by cell phones and chatter to pay attention.

Fortunately, the only thing Coach Taylor is better at than inspirational speeches is making people feel bad for letting him down. I defy any Friday Night Lights fan to risk talking during a movie and raising Coach’s ire.

]]>0‘Robin Hood: Origins’ Eyes Taron Egerton, Nicholas Hoult, Jack Huston, and Morehttp://www.slashfilm.com/robin-hood-origins-casting/
http://www.slashfilm.com/robin-hood-origins-casting/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 17:00:58 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307221For the past several months, there have been four Robin Hood movies in development and not a single Robin Hood between them. That might be about to change, however, as one of the four — Lionsgate’s gritty, revisionist Robin Hood: Origins — is finally closing in on a lead. Among those on the production’s radar are Taron Egerton, […]

For the past several months, there have been four Robin Hood movies in development and not a single Robin Hood between them. That might be about to change, however, as one of the four — Lionsgate’s gritty, revisionist Robin Hood: Origins — is finally closing in on a lead.

Among those on the production’s radar are Taron Egerton, Jack Reynor, Nicholas Hoult, Jack Huston, and possibly Dylan O’Brien. Otto Hathurst (Peaky Blinders) is directing. More about the Robin Hood Origins shortlist after the jump.

Written by Joby Harold, Robin Hood: Origins imagines the legend as a soldier who returns from the Crusades to discover that Sherwood Forest has become overrun by corruption and evil. He puts together a band of outlaws to become the hero Sherwood Forest needs. The project has been likened to The Dark Knight, because of course it has. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson are producing along with Harold and Tory Tunnell and Basil Iwanyk.

Now let’s run down the list of hopefuls:

Taron Egerton was a relative unknown until he broke out in a big way this year with Kingsman: The Secret Service. Since then he’s been working on more serious-minded dramas like Testament of Youth, Legend, and Eddie the Eagle. If Kingsman gets a sequel, it could get in the way of Robin Hood: Origins.

Jack Reynor was similarly obscure until 2014, when he showed up in Transformers: Age of Extinction to teach us all about statutory rape laws in Texas. His upcoming roles include Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire and Andy Serkis’ Jungle Book: Origins. Deadline says he’s the only one of the bunch who’s already met with Bathurst.

Nicholas Hoult is currently shooting X-Men: Apocalypse, in which he reprises the role of Hank McCoy / Beast. He was in this summer’s Mad Max: Fury Road and will be seen again in next month’s Dark Places. He previously starred in the gritty, revisionist take on Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack the Giant Slayer.

Jack Huston is best known for playing Richard Harrow on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Next up for him are Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Ben-Hur. He recently became about the 587th actor to drop out of The Crow reboot. (Which may not happen at all now, but that’s another story.)

Dylan O’Brien shot to fame on MTV’s Teen Wolf, and already has a franchise of his own in The Maze Runner. The second installment, subtitled The Scorch Trials, opens this fall. Depending on when the third (and probably last) Maze Runner movie shoots, it could conflict Robin Hood: Origins.

Robin Hood: Origins is competing with Disney’s Nottingham & Hood, described as a Pirates of the Caribbean-style adventure; Sony’s Hood, which is supposed to set up a Marvel-style shared universe; and Warner Bros.’ untitled Robin Hood pic, which has Will Beall (Aquaman) on board to write and Dan Lin (The Lego Movie) set to produce.

So far, Robin Hood: Origins seems to be the furthest along, since it’s the only one with a director. Lionsgate is eyeing an early 2016 start for the film. No release date has been set.

]]>0The Best ‘Mission: Impossible’ Action Sceneshttp://www.slashfilm.com/best-mission-impossible-action-scenes/
http://www.slashfilm.com/best-mission-impossible-action-scenes/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 01:00:58 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=305471Brian De Palma‘s first Mission: Impossible film wasn’t packed with action setpieces — there are only three, really, but those three are all top-tier action filmmaking, and one of those three defined the series for years to come. In the two decades since, the series has been tackled by a variety of directors — John […]

Brian De Palma‘s first Mission: Impossible film wasn’t packed with action setpieces — there are only three, really, but those three are all top-tier action filmmaking, and one of those three defined the series for years to come. In the two decades since, the series has been tackled by a variety of directors — John Woo, J.J. Abrams, Brad Bird, and now Christopher McQuarrie — each of whom bring a slightly different balance of action and espionage to their respective mix.

Paramount in all the best Mission Impossible setpieces, however, is the physicality of Tom Cruise (and, at times, his co-stars) and a direct simplicity that lets Cruise and many stunt performers shine. We’ve examined the major action concepts in the five films in the series to find the best Mission Impossible action scenes and show-off setpieces. (And, OK, we’ve highlighted a couple of the worst, too.)

Note: Below we talk about scenes from Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, but the stills used are from the trailer, and we’ve kept spoilers to a minimum. That said, there are still some spoilers here for Rogue Nation.

The second film in the series doesn’t take long to establish itself as vastly different from the first. That could be a very good thing, but warning bells go off during this goofy and visually incoherent flirt-turned-car chase that quickly becomes a literal dance with spinning cars. A better version of this scene may exist in John Woo’s rumored long initial cut of the film, but this final version is laughable.

***

19.

The Movie:Mission: Impossible II (2000)The Setup: On vacation, Ethan climbs a mountain with no safety harness.

It’s a great idea: re-introduce Ethan Hunt for the second film with a long push-in on his free-climb in Moab, Utah. The first shot is terrific, but the bulk of the scene is lensed and cut in a way that undermines the performance of Cruise and his doubles, and dispels any sense of danger. It’s meant to convey exhilaration and casual danger, but there’s no rush of adrenalin. There’s mostly just a sense of safety and even weightlessness — precisely the opposite of the feeling that should coil in your gut while watching.

***

18.

The Movie:Mission: Impossible III (2006)The Setup: Drawn back into action when a colleague is engandgered, Ethan’s operation leads to a helicopter chase.

A routine but well-executed gunfight leads to a helicopter chase that is anything but routine as its path veers into a field of giant wind turbines. At this point J.J. Abrams and his crew didn’t have the action chops we’d see later in the Star Trek films, though the seeds are planted, especially in the helicopter chase. There is an ever-escalating series of dangers to evade as copters veer through giant spinning blades, but there’s no spontaneity; each beat feels calculated as a riff on the basic visual pun. Each beat is planned, of course, but the best sequences in the M:I series keep us from thinking about it in the moment. Keri Russell’s performance is the highlight of this sequence, along with the sense of impending doom her story provides.

***

17.

The Movie:Mission: Impossible II (2000)The Setup: It’s the end of the movie so there has to be a big fight, and this one is nuts.

In a different movie, say, Torque, this foot chase with spinning leaps of gunplay, followed by a motorcycle chase (with spinning leaps of gunplay) followed by a knife fight might be a “get the audience on their feet” showstopper. Here, it’s a tangle of choppy silliness that has exactly the wrong effect. Let’s recognize the stunt driving, wire work, and editing, which together provide the goofiest highlights, while also accepting that the feel is all wrong.

Much of Ghost Protocol’s action holds up outside the confines of an IMAX theater, but the sandstorm sequence suffers in home viewing. The concept is terrific. The impending arrival of massive storm clouds is set up at the beginning of the setpiece prior to this, so on some level we’re waiting for this sandstorm chase to happen. On an IMAX screen the effect is great, but at home this is the one place where Ghost Protocol looks excessively digital and murky, and where Cruise and the stunt performers get a bit lost.

***

15.

The Movie:Mission: Impossible III (2006)The Setup: The IMF locates the MacGuffin in Shanghai, and drops in to steal it.

After a cutesy “distract bad guys with baseballs” opening, this sequence offers its showstopper moment: Cruise (and/or a double) leaps from a rooftop with only a safety wire — that we don’t see at first — preventing his death. That series of shots, together with another set showing Ethan swinging from one building to another, are great. While the concept is done well here, it is perfected in Ghost Protocol, and this sequence leads to a street chase that has Cruise running like a very muscular puppy after the rolling MacGuffin, er, Rabbit’s Foot. In retrospect, this feels like a rough draft for the Burj Khalifa + sandstorm couplet in Ghost Protocol.

This sequence does double-duty, establishing Rebecca Ferguson as a vital player in Rogue Nation, and giving Cruise a similar opportunity to flex and fight that we see in the hospital escape from Ghost Protocol. It’s simple stuff done very well, and gives Ferguson the first chance to show her own chops. Her work, combined with the limber power of one particular move from Ethan Hunt, seen as he extricates himself from being handcuffed to a pole, are the highlights.

]]>0‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Exec Showrunner Talks Time Jumps and First Respondershttp://www.slashfilm.com/fear-the-walking-dead-timeline/
http://www.slashfilm.com/fear-the-walking-dead-timeline/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 00:30:57 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307223At the beginning of the AMC panel for Fear the Walking Dead, AMC President Charlie Collier announced that season two of the show would be 15 episodes, which is more than double the first season’s six. Answering questions on the panel, showrunner David Erickson said the companion show, set at the beginning of the zombie […]

At the beginning of the AMC panel for Fear the Walking Dead, AMC President Charlie Collier announced that season two of the show would be 15 episodes, which is more than double the first season’s six. Answering questions on the panel, showrunner David Erickson said the companion show, set at the beginning of the zombie epidemic, will still have time to catch up to Rick waking up from his coma in the Walking Dead series premiere.

“By the time we end season one, there’s still a window of time, a window of exploration,” Erickson said. “We have some real estate left. We’ve come to realize things have changed. We structure the season in a way that the characters are still insulated from the truth of what’s going on. Part of season two will be that very thing.”

Fear the Walking Dead stars Cliff Curtis and Kim Dickens as parents trying to protect their kids when infected people start biting and looters flood the streets. Even though this will be the period we never got to see, where governments try to manage the pandemic, Erickson’s plan is to keep the focus on family members, not officials.

“We’re never going to tell the story from the perspective of someone at the CDC or in the military,” Erickson said. “We’ll see how first responders responded when things went sideways, how they protected their own family. That’s an arc of the first season.”

One answer Erickson never plans to give is what caused the zombie apocalypse. “Short answer, no,” he said to a question about the cause.

With a longer second season and questions about catching up to Rick Grimes, Erickson interestingly hinted that future seasons might take giant leaps. “There might be a season where we do a major time cut because that’s always interesting to me,” Erickson said. “How do you catch up with your character when six months have gone by, a year’s gone by? Right now it’s not about how we intersect or catch up.”

Actors on the panel included Curtis and Dickens, actors Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam-Carey as their children and Elizabeth Rodriguez as the ex-wife of Curtis’s character. One actor whose character is more of a mystery is Mercedes Mason, so she described her character, Ofelia Salazar.

“A lot of the theme of the show is about family and when the world goes to hell, what does family mean?” Mason said. “Is it something you’re born into, something you pick, what is morality? Ophelia goes through that very quickly in the first season. She has to discover herself. Her bond to her own family is questioned, as she starts learning about her family and her father. The nice ones are always the first to die [so] she has to grow a set.”

Erickson also addressed the development of the title Fear the Walking Dead. When it was announced, the show was merely the Untitled Walking Dead Spin-off.

“Fundamentally, you’re inheriting obviously a major franchise,” Erickson said. “There’s a legion of fans. We wanted Walking Dead in the title. What we wanted to avoid was doing The Walking Dead: Los Angeles. So we put something at the beginning rather than the end.”

In success, Erickson expects the companion show to be referred to simply as Fear. “We’re already referring to it as Fear,” he said. “I think Fear is going to become shorthand for the show. There’s a line of Ruben [Blades]’s coming up that incorporates fear in a beautiful way. There was a practical reason to do it but it also speaks very much to what the characters are going to go through and where the show is going to go.”

And he’s said this before, but since it comes up on every panel, Erickson asserted again that he has no plans to have characters from Fear show up on The Walking Dead or vice-versa.

“There’s no crossover plans right now,” Erickson said. “Telling parallel narratives that live under the same mythological umbrella, my instincts would be I’d love to see those stories conflate ate some point, but there’s no plans to do so. There’s no intention to have Easter eggs.”

]]>0Best Stories of the Week: Ghostbusters, Mission: Impossible, Key & Peele, Gambit and Morehttp://www.slashfilm.com/best-stories-of-the-week-11/
http://www.slashfilm.com/best-stories-of-the-week-11/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307125It hasn’t been the most exciting week in movie news, but we’ve still rounded up the Best Stories of the Week for you to catch up on. This time we’ve got stories on the line-ups for Fantastic Fest, the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, some conflicting reports on a Ghostbusters spin-off, the […]

It hasn’t been the most exciting week in movie news, but we’ve still rounded up the Best Stories of the Week for you to catch up on.

This time we’ve got stories on the line-ups for Fantastic Fest, the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, some conflicting reports on a Ghostbusters spin-off, the end of Key & Peele, and casting updates for Wonder Woman, Doctor Strange, Bourne 5 and Gambit.

Plus we also have trailers for the TIFF selected drama Room, the Christmas comedy The Night Before, Michael Bay’s 13 Hoursand Johnny Depp‘s crime drama Black Mass. Check out all the Best Stories of the Week after the jump!

#30. Michael Moore’s Next Documentary is Where to Invade Next

Controversial director Michael Moore is back on the scene with a new documentary that will be playing at TIFF called Where to Invade Next. The filmmaker has been working on the movie in secret, and you can find out more about the film in our original story.

#29. Will Ferrell Joins America’s Pastime in Ferrell Takes the Field Trailer

The comedy special premieres on HBO on September 12th.

#28. The Witch Director Robert Eggers Boards Remake of Nosferatu

The classic adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is getting the remake treatment from director Robert Eggers, the man behind the chilling Sundance selected indie horror flick The Witch. To find out more about the project, check out our full story.

After directing the remake of Poltergeist, filmmaker Gil Kenan is heading into video game territory by bringing the popular computer game Five Nights at Freddy’s to the big screen. Get more details in our original report.

#26. Shaft is Getting Rebooted as an Action Comedy

It’s been 15 years since Samuel L. Jackson brought Shaft back to the big screen, though the film had ties to the original iteration of the character played by Richard Roundtree. This time the property is getting a total reboot in action comedy form. Find out who’s behind the reboot in our full story over here.

#25. Mark Hamill is Back as The Joker for The Killing Joke Animated Movie

Largely considered to be one of the best versions of The Joker, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill will reprise his role as Batman’s arch nemesis in the forthcoming animated adaptation of The Killing Joke. Get more information on the new project right here.

]]>0Superhero Bits: Fantastic Four, Jessica Jones, Arrow, Luke Cage, Flash, Ant-Man, Arkham Knighthttp://www.slashfilm.com/superhero-bits-894/
http://www.slashfilm.com/superhero-bits-894/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 23:00:39 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307160Which Daredevil character has just been confirmed for Jessica Jones? Has Arrow Season 4 added a new baddie? Who do the Fantastic Four cast want to battle? Which supervillain is coming to Luke Cage? How’s Grant Gustin looking in the new Flash costume? Which actress is being rumored for Ms. Marvel (again)? Want to see a cool Batman: […]

Which Daredevil character has just been confirmed for Jessica Jones? Has Arrow Season 4 added a new baddie? Who do the Fantastic Four cast want to battle? Which supervillain is coming to Luke Cage? How’s Grant Gustin looking in the new Flash costume? Which actress is being rumored for Ms. Marvel (again)? Want to see a cool Batman: Arkham Knight Alfred mod? Read about all this and more in today’s Superhero Bits.

Wanna learn how to make your own Ant-Man costume? (Shrinking technology not included.)

]]>0Exclusive: BBC America President Promises “Character Surprises” in ‘Orphan Black’ S4http://www.slashfilm.com/orphan-black-season-4/
http://www.slashfilm.com/orphan-black-season-4/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 22:30:45 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307203BBC America didn’t do an executive session for the Television Critics Association today. The company president, Sarah Barnett, just made a few quick announcements and introduced panels on The Last Kingdom and Doctor Who. So before BBC America cleared out for other networks, I asked Barnett a few questions about the future of Orphan Black. […]

BBC America didn’t do an executive session for the Television Critics Association today. The company president, Sarah Barnett, just made a few quick announcements and introduced panels on The Last Kingdom and Doctor Who. So before BBC America cleared out for other networks, I asked Barnett a few questions about the future of Orphan Black. She explained that Orphan Black season 4 has been greenlit and right now the focus is on coming up with surprising character revelations.

“We’re just starting the writers room, so we’re breaking the season, excited about it,” Barnett said. “Trying to get back to the essence of real, big character surprise in season four. I just want to continue helping and nurturing Graeme [Manson] and John [Fawcett] to do what they’ve done so well in the first three seasons.”

I imagined Barnett meant surprises for the LEDA clones played by Tatiana Maslany, but could there be more CASTOR surprises too?

“I don’t know yet,” she said. “Truly, we’re working it all out. I think some of the surprises, there’ll be plot surprises for sure without a ton of crazy exposition, but I also think there will be some real, big character surprises. One of the many defining things of the show is that rhythm in the storytelling of Russian nesting dolls, so you think it’s painted itself into a corner, and then something else pops out which takes it in this crazy new different direction.”

This year also sees Maslany nominated for her first Emmy for playing multiple characters on Orphan Black. Fans and critics have long been championing Maslany for her work distinguishing every clone she plays. Barnett was glad the Emmy Academy finally took notice.

“So satisfying,” Barnett said. “In a way she’s been the poster child for being snubbed for the past few years. Which is actually quite sweet I think, to have so many people, critics and regular consumers, talk about how much she’s deserved that nomination for what is just such a unique and extraordinary performance, obviously like no other on television. So the fact that she’s now getting recognized for that is tremendous.”

BBC America also announced a Dirk Gently television series based on the Douglas Adams books, to be written by Max Landis. Barnett wouldn’t address any specific questions about Dirk Gently.

“It’s too early for me to even say anything that wouldn’t end up potentially being [a spoiler] because we’re just digging into it really,” Barnett said. “It’s a really exciting world. Max Landis, who’s attached to it, is a crazy, brilliant mind so we’re super excited.”

]]>0‘The Leftovers’ Creators Explain New Ideas and Religious Expression in Season Twohttp://www.slashfilm.com/the-leftovers-season-2-details/
http://www.slashfilm.com/the-leftovers-season-2-details/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 22:00:49 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307175HBO ended their Television Critics Association sessions with a panel on season two of The Leftovers. Damon Lindelof, author and co-creator Tom Perotta, and stars Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon and Regina King were on the panel. As (spoiler) the first season ended with Kevin Garvey (Theroux) leaving town with a new surrogate family, season two […]

HBO ended their Television Critics Association sessions with a panel on season two of The Leftovers. Damon Lindelof, author and co-creator Tom Perotta, and stars Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon and Regina King were on the panel. As (spoiler) the first season ended with Kevin Garvey (Theroux) leaving town with a new surrogate family, season two finds them in Miracle National Park.

“The premise of this place, Jardin, TX which is Miracle National Park, is there were no departures from this place,” Lindelof said. “It has a population over 9,000 and nobody departed, so what would that be and what would happen if there was a departure?”

“In the normal world, if someone goes missing, we think foul play, somebody kidnapped or hurt them, or they ran away. In this world where this concept exists, there’s the third possibility. This season is interested in exploring that idea of loss. I think there’s a much more immediate sense of something happening, versus the examination of the aftermath of something that happened. We’re using this as a lens to bring out the larger ideas of narrative in a plot driven way.”

Perrotta added that Miracle National Park allows them to explore the departures in a different way than season one’s Guilty Remnant.

“Because it’s been insulated from the most significant trauma of the departure, the really dark religious unrest that we explored with the Guilty Remnant isn’t happening there,” Perrotta said. “It has its own peculiarities that lean in to protect it’s special identity. We’re looking at a different sort of religious expression. This town called Miracle tries to geographically separate itself and create the sense of psychological, geographical isolation. That creates vulnerabilities, arrogance and an unstable situation. How did the community set itself apart? Saying we’re chosen, what does that mean when you do that?”

That’s not to say the Guilty Remnant are gone. They’ve been left behind, to quote another story of departures, but Lindelof says their presence is still felt. “As storytellers, we’ve said that the dramatic conflict of Season 2 is that Season 1 is trying to get in,” Lindelof said. “There’s this branch that separates the national park from the outside world. It’s very difficult to get into this national park because as you can imagine, it’s a much sought-after tourist destination. People are grafting a lot of meaning onto this place. We think that’s interesting. What is it about this place? Is it a statistical anomaly or is there something special? Even though Amy Brenneman, who’s a regular this season and we’ll continue to see her, we really want to see what the next chapter for her is. She and Meg are manifesting different aspects of that Season 1 idea.”

Season two will have a somewhat lighter tone. Clips shown in the HBO presentation included people actually smiling!

“The first season of the show we make no apologies for,” Lindelof said. “We wanted to ground the world. To many that may have felt bleak and depressing. To us it felt honest. What was important to us was the characters on the show didn’t want to feel that way. The idea of people wanting to feel better and gravitating towards ways to feel better, this family wouldn’t want to stay in the place where they were, geographically or emotionally. When we started talking about them sitting around a table saying, ‘What if we left this place?’ ideas started flowing. It opened the show creatively in interesting ways, and created the opportunity to introduce new characters.”

One of those new characters is played by King. “I play Erika Murphy,” King said. “I am a mother, a doctor who works at the clinic. I’m married. My husband was the man who was kicking through doors [in the trailer clips]. My son is the one that’s making eyes with Jill. She’s light, she’s bright. When I say bright, I mean smart, bright and full of life. There are some things you get to learn about that’s behind that smile.”

Theroux teased a surprise in store for Kevin Garvey: “I have a surprise in my character.”

“It is this big beautiful open sky Texas, this new town,” Theroux said. “What I find interesting now, we’re halfway through making the show [and] they’re illuminating certain parts of the path as we go. The show opens up visually, but it has this other quality because Miracle has such a small population, it literally has fences around it in a way that keeps that population unto itself. They’ve created this bizarre ant farm where the world is smaller and more intense. That struck me and that came after reading a couple scripts and starting to make the show and see the sets.

“This move, obviously he’s not going to be able to take his badge or responsibilities to the people with him. He ends up coming up completely against himself and a woman he doesn’t even really know that well. When you think back on it, it’s a very spontaneous decision they make together. She’s behind the driver’s wheel a lot. In a weird way, the pressure’s off him there but it forces him to confront all the things he gets when you make those grand wishes for yourself.”

Coon added a bit about Nora’s evolution in Miracle. “I suppose I was prepared for whatever the transformation in Nora would be taking on this role again as a mother,” she said. “Having been defined by her grief, she’s stepping into the role of wife and mother again, and what that would mean for her. It hasn’t turned out the way I expected it to. [The expression is:] Wherever you go, there you are. I think her Nora Durst-ness is intact. I don’t know what’s coming. The surprise you’re asking about hasn’t happened to me yet but I think it’s coming.”

Spoiler alert for season one, but viewers who did see the entire first season might be surprised to learn that Ann Dowd is returning for Season 2 as well. “Believe it or not, she’s still going to be on the show,” Lindelof said. “We have a plan. What we’re doing hopefully in the second season with her is fairly unique. I think we don’t want to use her as a Shakespearean ghost, to say she’s just someone there to comment on the action.

She’s in the show but we don’t really want to talk too specifically about how she manifests. Suffice to say, she’s a huge problem that needs to be solved. Not Anne Dowd [but her character Patti Levin].”

]]>0‘Trainwreck’ Outtakes: Watch the Hilarious Improvised Riffs That Didn’t Make the Cuthttp://www.slashfilm.com/trainwreck-outtakes-video/
http://www.slashfilm.com/trainwreck-outtakes-video/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 21:30:51 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307132In typical Judd Apatow fashion, Trainwreck runs a bit long, thanks in part to its lengthy improvised riffs. But even at 125 minutes, Trainwreck had to leave a few bits of comedy gold on the cutting room floor. So Universal has released some of the best unused lines in a hilarious Trainwreck outtakes video. Watch it after the jump. […]

In typical Judd Apatow fashion, Trainwreck runs a bit long, thanks in part to its lengthy improvised riffs. But even at 125 minutes, Trainwreck had to leave a few bits of comedy gold on the cutting room floor. So Universal has released some of the best unused lines in a hilarious Trainwreck outtakes video. Watch it after the jump.

The Trainwreck outtakes went up on YouTube. There aren’t any major spoilers (not that you could really spoil a movie like this anyway), but be warned it’s very much NSFW for nudity and language.

LeBron James was the surprise scene-stealer of Trainwreck, and he’s the surprise scene-stealer of the Trainwreck outtakes as well. You’d expect comedy veterans like Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park, and Mike Birbiglia to be comfortable improvising, but James more than holds his own. If he ever gets tired of that whole basketball thing, maybe he can try auditioning for Saturday Night Live. His BFF Hader could probably put in a good word for him.

That last scene of him gushing about Cleveland might be the best part of the whole video, though some of the pitches from that S’Nuff staff meeting are pretty spectacular as well. I’d totally read “Get Your Girlfriend’s Pussy That New Car Smell,” if only out of morbid curiosity.

Trainwreck is in theaters now.

Since she was a little girl, it’s been drilled into Amy’s (Amy Schumer) head by her rascal of a dad (Colin Quinn) that monogamy isn’t realistic. Now a magazine writer, Amy lives by that credo — enjoying what she feels is an uninhibited life free from stifling, boring romantic commitment — but in actuality, she’s kind of in a rut. When she finds herself starting to fall for the subject of the new article she’s writing, a charming and successful sports doctor named Aaron Conners (Bill Hader), Amy starts to wonder if other grown-ups, including this guy who really seems to like her, might be on to something.

My most anticipated panel at the Television Critics Association summer press tour was the Starz panel for Ash Vs. Evil Dead. Bruce Campbell dominated the panel, both via questions asked of him, and those asked of his costars and collaborators. Wearing a white dinner jacket and what could’ve quite possibly been alligator shoes (from this distance from the stage), Campbell made sure to let the room know he was there as he talked about the bloody show and his long relationship with fans.

Sam Raimi, who directs the pilot and produces the show, joined Campbell on stage and said Ash Vs. Evil Dead began as a feature film sequel script.

“First my brother Ivan and I wrote a movie,” Raimi said. “It was too big and unwieldy. Then our partner Rob Tapert said, ‘Why don’t we make it as a TV show? I’ve had some great experiences in television, [like] Spartacus. The threshold of what you can show on TV [has increased]. We can give the audience what they really wanted, which was Bruce Campbell as Ash. TV is about character. This is an opportunity to let him talk which Bruce loves to do. Starz said that’s exactly what we want to do.”

Campbell offered a descriptive illustration of how bloody the show can be. “I went blind the other day shooting a scene,” Campbell said. “Just picture that. Take a shower and open your eyes right into the faucet. That’s how much blood there is on this show. I’ve been gagged once and I went blind. That’s a lot of blood on the show. So anyone who’s looking for it, it’s coming your way.”

There won’t, however, be a tree rape. “I think you’re going to find things that disturb you as much as that sequence in the original Evil Dead but they’ll be different and new,” Campbell said.

The first episode of Ash Vs. Evil Dead will be a 30-minute Sam Raimi movie. Raimi described some noticeable adjustments to his Evil Dead style in the television adaptation.

“We couldn’t set up as many trick shots,” Raimi said. “We had to focus on the character which is what the audience wanted anyways. I think the transition TV demanded was precisely what the fans wanted and will work out for the best.”

Both Campbell and Raimi spoke a lot about fans asking them about an Evil Dead sequel every year, even when Raimi was promoting Spider-Man movies. They joke about fans demanding more Ash, but when it comes down to it they sincerely want to please them.

“Even if I was over it, the fans would not allow me to be over it,” Campbell said. “I’ve gone to conventions since 1988, every subsequent year I hear, ‘When are you making more of this?’ I came to a realization. You’re only going to be remembered based on what people watch. If you only watch horror movies, I’m going to be remembered as Ash. I’ve actually been more pigeonholed by my fans than the film industry itself. I don’t think I was ever really over it. You get a little tired of not being able to answer them. I couldn’t really tell them so I was more frustrated like them, than being over it. I can’t be over the Evil Dead movies. They got me into the film business.”

Raimi revealed a little resistance to revisiting his original trilogy, but felt it was best to embrace it. “I had the same experience as Bruce,” Raimi said. “I thought I was very lucky in my film career. I got some great jobs, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2. I’d go to conventions and all people ask is when I’m going to make another Evil Dead film. I thought this is the biggest movie I could do and all you want to talk about [is Evil Dead]. They want this story from me. I thought I was telling other good stories but they don’t care about them. They want this one. We should really embrace it. It just takes a long time to get over yourself.”

Lucy Lawless was also on the panel to talk about her character on the show, Ruby. Ruby believes Ash is the cause of the deadite rising and she is hunting him. Raimi elaborated, “We needed a powerful adversary for Ash. Someone who can be formidable and you can believe can kick his butt. He’s a monster fighter every day. She has gravitas and is a real threat to him. That’s why Lucy’s a great choice.”

The Evil Dead team hasn’t ruled out more movies either, and Raimi would continue to direct them. “I’d love to direct if Bruce is starring in it and Rob was producing it, yeah,” Raimi said.

With all this talk about reviving old movies and shows, Lawless was asked about a Xena reboot. Lawless said that reports of her confirming a new Xena were false. She never said that. That didn’t stop Campbell from trolling her for work. “I pitched a 3 episode arc as Autolycus,” he deadpanned.

One reporter even asked Campbell if he would revisit Brisco County, Jr., the 1993 western series that lasted one season. Campbell said, “You never know. Never say never. Old TV shows used to age like fish but not anymore. They’ll pull anything out of the hat.”

He was more upset that the theme song to The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. became NBC’s theme song for The Olympics. “If we did a reboot of Brisco they’ll go, ‘Why are you using the theme of the Olympics?’ They stole my life, NBC.”

]]>0‘Sleeping with Other People’ Trailer: Jason Sudeikis Shows Alison Brie Some Special Moveshttp://www.slashfilm.com/sleeping-with-other-people-trailer-2/
http://www.slashfilm.com/sleeping-with-other-people-trailer-2/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 20:30:16 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307133One of my favorite films from this year’s Sundance Film Festival was the raunchy romantic comedy Sleeping with Other People, starring Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie. Thankfully, IFC Films picked up the indie from the festival, and you’ll be able to see it in theaters in just a few weeks. In the meantime, a new […]

One of my favorite films from this year’s Sundance Film Festival was the raunchy romantic comedy Sleeping with Other People, starring Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie. Thankfully, IFC Films picked up the indie from the festival, and you’ll be able to see it in theaters in just a few weeks.

In the meantime, a new international trailer for the film has just surfaced, and be prepared to watch it somewhere privately, because even though it’s not an official red band trailer, it’s still a little NSFW, due to some pretty risque conversation topics. The major culprit is Sudeikis explaining to Brie how to touch herself in a very intimate way.

Watch the international Sleeping with Other People trailer after the jump!

The good news is that today is National Orgasm Day, so this trailer fits right in with the day’s, uh, activities. This movie is like a much more explicit When Harry Met Sally, but without going overboard. It also has a lot of heart, and Jason Sudeikis proves that he’s quite the charming leading man, while Alison Brie makes a case for her status as a leading actress as well.

If you need anymore convincing, I suggest watching the first US trailer from last month, and not just because it has a quote from my Sundance review (back when I was at another outlet). This is a great date movie, as long as it’s with someone you’ve been in a relationship with for awhile, with a lot of laughs and genuine romantic sparks.

Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Natasha Lyonne, and Jason Mantzoukas also star in the film written and directed by Leslye Headland (Bachelorette), and it hits theaters on August 21st.

Years after impulsively losing their virginity to each other in college, Lainey (Alison Brie) and Jake (Jason Sudeikis) meet at a support group in New York (“What’s a nice girl like you doing at a sex addicts meeting?”). A spark resurfaces, but they’ve walked this road before. Abject failures in romance who lead lives of serial infidelity and self-sabotage, they agree to a platonic friendship to mutually support their recovery—and what’s more supportive than teaching your friend proper self-stimulation? Can love bloom while you’re sleeping with other people? Lainey and Jake may have struck a deal that proves easier said than done.

]]>0Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s ‘Son of Zorn’ Adds Jason Sudeikis and Cheryl Hineshttp://www.slashfilm.com/son-of-zorn-jason-sudeikis/
http://www.slashfilm.com/son-of-zorn-jason-sudeikis/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 20:00:18 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307131Phil Lord and Chris Miller have found a leading man for their new project. No, not the Han Solo spinoff — Son of Zorn, their live-action / animation hybrid series for Fox. Jason Sudeikis will play Zorn, an animated barbarian struggling to reconnect with his life-action family. Cheryl Hines, Tim Meadows, and Artemis Pebdani have also […]

Phil Lord and Chris Miller have found a leading man for their new project. No, not the Han Solo spinoff — Son of Zorn, their live-action / animation hybrid series for Fox. Jason Sudeikis will play Zorn, an animated barbarian struggling to reconnect with his life-action family.

Cheryl Hines, Tim Meadows, and Artemis Pebdani have also signed on. More on the Son of Zorn Jason Sudeikis casting after the jump.

Here’s the bizarre-sounding synopsis for Son of Zorn (renamed from Son of Zahn):

Upon arriving home for the first time in ten years, an animated Barbarian father finds that reconnecting with his live-action son and ex-wife while suffering a mundane office job and the banality of suburban life is harder than waging actual war in his distant, animated world.

EW reports Sudeikis will play Zorn, and Hines his ex-wife Edie. Meadows plays Edie’s new live-in boyfriend. Pebdani is Zorn’s boss. As previously announced, Johnny Pemberton will play Zorn’s angsty estranged teenage son. Son of Zorn will shoot an 8- to 10-minute pilot presentation for Fox this summer.

Reed Agnew and Eli Jorne will serve as showrunners and executive producers on Son of Zorn. Eric Appel will direct and co-executive produce. Seth Cohen is also executive producing alongside Lord and Miller. The trio previously collaborated on Fox’s The Last Man on Earth, which featured Sudeikis in a small role.

Sudeikis shot to fame on Saturday Night Live and has managed to build a pretty solid career outside the show as well. He’s appeared in both studio pics (Horrible Bosses, We’re the Millers) and indies (Sleeping With Other People, Tumbledown). His upcoming roles include the Zach Galifianakis heist comedy Masterminds, the drama The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, and the animated Angry Birds.

Hines was last seen in Think Like a Man Too and the comedy series Suburgatory. She is currently filming Wilson, based on the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. Meadows is shooting Conner4Real, the Lonely Island movie. And Pebdani has a recurring role on ABC’s Scandal, which enters its fifth season this fall.

]]>0‘Humans’ Renewed for Second Seasonhttp://www.slashfilm.com/humans-renewed/
http://www.slashfilm.com/humans-renewed/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 19:30:38 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307118Humans, the show that explores new developments in tech and artificial intelligence by creating a vision of London in which Synths, or extremely human-like androids, are the latest tech development, has turned into a hit for AMC in the States and Channel 4 in the UK. Today the companies announced that Humans will get a second season. […]

Humans, the show that explores new developments in tech and artificial intelligence by creating a vision of London in which Synths, or extremely human-like androids, are the latest tech development, has turned into a hit for AMC in the States and Channel 4 in the UK. Today the companies announced that Humans will get a second season. With Humans renewed, eight episodes are planned for season two, and the series will go before cameras in 2016.

A press release, via ComingSoon, announces the renewal. It’s interesting to remember that Humans was originally going to be a co-production between Channel 4 and Xbox Live, until the shakeup at Xbox led to exec departures and a change of strategy at Microsoft’s subscription service. Things changed, and the show went to AMC, where it likely found far more success than it would have via Xbox.

Here’s some of the press release, with excited quotes from execs.

“We’re so pleased to announce a second season of ‘Humans’ and extend our terrific partnership with Channel 4, Kudos and the stellar cast, crew and writers Sam and Jonathan,” said Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and Sundance TV. “As one of the year’s top new cable series, ‘Humans’ has been embraced by fans and critics across the U.S. and UK. We’re looking forward to continuing this very captivating story and further exploring the show’s parallel, Synth-filled world that hits so disturbingly close to home.”

Piers Wenger, Head of Drama at Channel 4, said: “‘Humans’ has proved a huge hit with both audiences and critics alike this summer, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to writers Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley and to the team at Kudos for bringing a truly unmissable show to life. It also marks a key moment for Channel 4 as we expand our remit for bold and original drama into the international, co-production space. We look forward to working with our partners AMC on season two of ‘Humans’ and to more Synth-related adventures to come.”

This is one of the latest promos from AMC, exploring the specific requirements faced by actors who play Synths.

]]>0‘Doctor Who’ Producer Steven Moffat Speaks on Maisie Williams’ Mystery Role, and a Female Doctorhttp://www.slashfilm.com/doctor-who-tca-update/
http://www.slashfilm.com/doctor-who-tca-update/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 19:00:35 +0000http://www.slashfilm.com/?p=307140Today BBC America presented a Doctor Who panel for the Television Critics Association. Stars Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman were only available via satellite from the set, but writer/executive producer Steven Moffat was here in person. After the panel, Moffat answered follow-up questions from reporters, including some details about the possibility of a female Doctor, and […]

Today BBC America presented a Doctor Who panel for the Television Critics Association. Stars Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman were only available via satellite from the set, but writer/executive producer Steven Moffat was here in person. After the panel, Moffat answered follow-up questions from reporters, including some details about the possibility of a female Doctor, and the character guest star Maisie Williams will play. She will be different from Arya Stark for sure.

(Some vague spoilers for recent Doctor Who episodes are ahead.)

“I would say she’s very different but I can’t really say much about it,” Moffat said. “I’m really excited about what Maisie gets to do in the show but it’ll take you a moment or two as you watch it to realize what we’re up to.”

On the panel, Moffat spoke about casting Michelle Gomez as Missy, who is the first female incarnation of The Master. During follow-ups, he elaborated on the progressive gender take.

“The key thing about changing the Master to Missy was that the Doctor doesn’t react to it at all,” Moffat said. “He just carries on talking. He’s shocked that she’s there. He doesn’t say anything about the fact she’s a woman. So clearly that’s a very big statement. That’s just a thing that happens.”

This became part of a larger discussion on the possibility of having a female Doctor, not that we want to see Peter Capaldi leave any time soon. “We always say ‘a woman playing the Doctor’ [but] no one ever says ‘a man playing the Doctor,’” Moffat said.

The producer elaborated on that topic:

Most men would be rubbish as the Doctor. There are very, very few people who can do that part. I think it is necessary to expand what the show can do all the time, because that’s why it’s alive. I’m not making it inevitable and I’m not preventing it. I’m just saying it’s possible. In my head, rationally it seems to me, you know how human beings are never completely male or female. You’re mostly a woman, I’m mostly a man. Maybe a male Time Lord is someone who most of his regenerations are male. Maybe he’ll have a couple of female. The science fiction of that would make sense to me. Otherwise life might be a little complicated. I wish sometimes that the politics of that would take a backseat and talk about the art, because it’s not really about that. It’s just about would it work. When it will work is when somebody says, ‘that person would be amazing.’ The most conservative, most traditional member of the audience says, ‘Oh God yes. I hate the idea of a lady Doctor but that one would be great.’ That’s what you want.

What qualities would that woman need to have to garner that reaction? “Carved out of solid star and someone who you can’t take your eyes off, not because they’re beautiful,” Moffat said. “Just somebody who’s face is so fascinating.”

The return of Coleman means that Clara has embraced life on the TARDIS, as Coleman said via satellite. Later, Moffat said that her splintering through time will have subtle ramifications.

“She’ll have dreams about it,” Moffat said. “It’s one of those things, if I put it in an episode, most of the audience will have forgotten now and go what the hell are you talking about? In my mind she has dreams. She has a vague awareness that there was other stuff but not very clear at all.”

Moffat also said that there is less of a serialized mystery this season. “This is, I would say, one of the lighter [mysteries],” he said. “I’d say the story this time, because I thought it worked last year rather well, the main story is the emotional. Clara has now decided that the TARDIS is her real life and that’s what she loves and loves running around in the TARDIS with the Doctor and getting into scrapes. The more dangerous the better. She’s becoming like him.”